SICILY. Syracuse. Pyrrhos of Epeiros. 278–276 BC.

SICILY. Syracuse. Pyrrhos of Epeiros. 278–276 BC. Æ 23 mm (11.22 g, 9 h).

Obv. Head of youthful Herakles left, wearing lion-skin headdress, paws knotted before neck.

Rev. ΣYΡΑ-ΚΟΣΙΩΝ. Athena advancing right, hurling thunderbolt in right hand and holding shield on left arm.

Refs: HGC 2, 1451; cf. SNG ANS 852ff.

A handsome bronze struck during the brief but eventful reign of Pyrrhos of Epeiros at Syracuse. The youthful Herakles obverse recalls the hero’s strength and courage, while the reverse depicts Athena as a dynamic, militant figure, embodying both wisdom and aggressive power. The style is vigorous, reflecting the turbulent years when Pyrrhos, invited by the Syracusans to repel Carthaginian threats, briefly established himself as ruler of the city.Well struck on a broad flan with complete devices. Surfaces covered with an attractive rich umber patina, lending the coin a warm cabinet tone. A particularly choice example for the type. Ex NFA (Numismatic Fine Arts), Winter Sale, 14 December 1989, lot 71 (with original NFA tag).

Pyrrhos’ Sicilian venture (278–276 BC) was an extension of his Italian campaigns against Rome. At the invitation of the Syracusans, he assumed command to drive back the Carthaginians, enjoying early successes. His coinage at Syracuse reflects both the city’s Greek heritage and his own heroic self-image, drawing parallels between Pyrrhos and Herakles as saviors of the Greeks. Despite initial victories, his authoritarian style soon alienated allies, and by 276 BC he abandoned Sicily to return to Italy, leaving behind coinage that captures one of the most dramatic episodes in the island’s Hellenistic history.